Vowel 5: /ɑː/

Comparison with Spanish

English /ɑː/ sounds slightly different from Spanish /a/ because the former is a back vowel whereas the latter is central. The lips are neutral.

A common spelling for this vowel is <ar>: car, far, garden. Other spellings are <ass>, <ast>, <alf>, <ant>, <ath>: pass, past, half, can’t, bath.

Practice

- Is it far to the car?
- Half the class won't pass the exam.
- He plays darts in the bath.

American English

In American English, the spellings <ass>, <ast>, <alf>, <ant>, <ath> are pronounced with vowel 4 /æ/, not vowel 5 /ɑː/:

British English:       pass /pɑːs/
American English:  pass /pæs/